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All ex-and serving military personnel know what a Dear John letter is and what it means to the individual who receives one. For interested military readers who have not served I will explain.
A Dear John letter to British servicemen while they served abroad was and no doubt still is one of the low points of that particular serviceman’s life while in the forces. The aggrieved just had to get on with their lives, because some being so far from home they could do nothing about it. Their closest mates tried to help them get over the distressing news, because sometimes it was marriage break ups
I do not know if the American personnel use the same term Dear John when they refer letters from their girlfriends informing them that their relationships were over.
In most cases it was because their girlfriends even though they were engaged to the servicemen, they had found somebody else. Obviously girlfriends, Fiancée’s and in some cases wives were in the prime of their lives and seeing hearing their friends going to pubs and dances etc. They fell for the temptation and that was that, which was very unfortunate for the serviceman especially if he was serving abroad and in most cases they were.
It happened to one of the lads in our tent, he read the letter and without saying a word he just nailed the letter to the tent pole for all to see and walked out.
I am pleased to say the Dear John letters were few and far between, but was and still are very upsetting to the servicemen
The overwhelming majority of British young women who stick by their men in what can only be described for them as upsetting and unsettling times. I can only speak on behalf of the British servicemen both past and present in thanking you one and all for being so brave and loyal.